Dangerous Love
by Claddagh10
Summary: Dante left Lulu broken-hearted with no explanation.  What will happen when he learns her life is in danger?   My personal take on the fallout of the current Brenda/Dante storyline.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

**I am still planning on continuing Taking Chances, don't worry! But with everything happening right now on GH, this idea popped in my head and has refused to leave! This is not going to be a super-long fic, but at least a few chapters. I have a definite plan. :)**

**I own nothing except for the thoughts in my mind. Characters belong to General Hospital. Please excuse any mistakes with French culture or language, as I am simply using my best friend Google.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

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She felt shattered. It wasn't merely her heart that was broken this time. It was her soul. It was her body. Every muscle ached. Every nerve ending screamed. Her head was pounding, her throat raw from crying. If there was a way out of this right now, she'd take it. If there was a way to get rid of the pain, she didn't know it.

All she knew was the searing agony. The despair and the loneliness. And she knew she had to get away.

She took another long drink and silently begged for oblivion.

_**6 MONTHS LATER**_

Lulu Spencer tapped a fingernail on her desk as she waited for the call to go through. She smiled as the perky voice of her best friend invited her to leave a message, but only if she had something productive to say. Maxie Jones' voice turned firm as she reminded the caller of one of her biggest pet peeves.

_My phone is equipped with caller ID. Leaving a message purely to request a call back is redundant. And annoying. Ciao!_

Lulu laughed, as she always did when she heard the message.

"Maxie, it's me," she said, swiveling her chair to face the window of her tastefully decorated office. "Thought you might be interested in hearing who I landed for next month's cover." Lulu examined her fingernails and smiled triumphantly. "Three hints. Starred in last year's Oscar-winning film. Out of rehab less than 2 weeks ago. And has not given a single interview since her divorce became final and addiction became public," Lulu paused for effect. "And yours truly happened to sign her for an exclusive article and photo shoot." Lulu turned back at the knock on her office door, and waved in the woman who stood holding a large file.

"Now, I know at this point you're ready to kick yourself for not being the one in Paris right now," she continued with a grin and a wink for the woman who was walking over to the desk. "But as co-editors in chief, I feel we can both share in this victory. Even if it was my powers of persuasion and compassion that convinced her to sign. Ciao yourself, darling!"

Lulu dropped the phone and whirled up and out of her chair to throw her arms around the other woman, who hugged her back tightly before pulling away, keeping her hands at Lulu's shoulders.

"I'm so proud of you!" she beamed, and Lulu grinned back.

"Thanks, Mom," Lulu grinned back. "I'm feeling pretty proud of myself right about now." She picked up the file that Laura Spencer had dropped on desk, but didn't open it immediately. "I couldn't have done it without you," she said seriously.

Laura waved the words away with her hand. "Don't be silly. You would have caught up with her eventually. I just happened to share a fondness for crepes at the same café as our star. You did all the hard work."

"Well," Lulu said, squeezing her mother's hand, "it was a combined effort. And we are celebrating tonight! Madeline," she called out. "Can you make a reservation before you leave for the day?"

Lulu's assistant stepped into the office grinning. Both women stood in front of her, with identical smiles and hair shades. She had only known Lulu and Laura Spencer for about 6 months, but had come to love them both. There was nothing she wouldn't do for Lulu. And she felt the same loyalty toward her boss's mother. The woman was a marketing genius, and one of the sweetest women Madeline had ever met.

"Absolutely!" Madeline drew out her notebook. "L'Arc?" she suggested.

"Perfect. Can you join us?" Lulu asked. Madeline was efficient and friendly, and had overcome an almost debilitating level of shyness to become one of Lulu's most trusted staff members. Lulu adored her. Madeline was only a few years younger than Lulu, but Lulu felt almost maternal toward her.

"No, I apologize," Madeline grimaced. "My family is visiting this week. I must meet them and we have plans for dinner already."

Lulu made a face. "Next time, then," she offered. "After all, you deserve to celebrate too! Take off after you make the call, Maddy. Thanks for everything."

Lulu turned back to her mother. "I may have an entire bottle of champagne tonight," she declared, grinning.

* * *

"Cheers!" Lulu sang as she stumbled her way out of the restaurant. A group of young British men patted hands over their hearts as they watched her walk away. Her coat was slung over her arm, leaving her arms bare to the cool night air. Dressed in a short, strapless silk dress, she wound a scarf around her neck instead of tugging on the coat. A breeze picked up, and the group of men groaned as her skirt fluttered tantalizingly high on her legs. Lulu, feeling generous, blew them a kiss, laughing as one of them yelled out his phone number.

Laura giggled. "Well, young lady, I certainly didn't expect you to follow through," she hiccupped. "Two bottles of Dom Perignon! And you should be ashamed for dragging your mother along with you."

Lulu put an arm around Laura's shoulders as they walked together toward the limo that was waiting. "Mom, you held up beautifully," she stated. Her eyes were bright but clear, and her skin just a bit flushed from the wine. Her blonde hair was curled, and she kept it long because she never knew what she might be in the mood for. Short was just…short. At least when it was long she had options. Something she'd spent a lot of time thinking about these past few months was options. And she had learned to leave hers open.

Lulu fought off the wave of sadness that threatened to creep over her. Tonight was not a night for regrets, she reprimanded herself. She started to dig in her purse for a mint, and caught her heel on a crack in the sidewalk, twisting her ankle slightly. "Damn," she said, wincing. "I just bought these," she muttered, bending one knee behind her to try to make sure the heel wasn't broken or scratched. Leaning down, she missed the flash of light from across the street and the figure of the person who sank back into shadows before she straightened.

Laura shook her head and helped her daughter into the waiting car. "Sweetheart, why don't you come back to my house?" she offered, resting a hand on the limo door as the world tilted slightly. "I hate the thought of you going to that big empty flat. And I think we've had too much to drink," she added, as she stumbled off the curb herself.

Lulu smiled affectionately at Laura. "That was the point, wasn't it?" she giggled. "And anyway, I love that big empty flat. I love to walk around it. It's the first place I've ever had all to myself, you know?"

Laura nodded and leaned her head against the back of seat. "But-"

"I'm fine, Mom," Lulu assured her. "And there's a carton of ice cream in my freezer desperately calling my name. If I don't go home he'll be very disappointed." She reached over and hugged Laura tightly though. How wonderful it was to have her mother so close. Close enough to work with, to get a little tipsy with. Closing her eyes, she breathed in her mother's hair. Just to have her at all was nothing short of a miracle. As the limo pulled to a stop, she let go and kissed Laura's cheek.

"I love you, Mom," she said simply, and Laura rested a hand over her daughter's hair for a moment before she stepped out of the car. "Love you too, baby," she smiled.

After Laura was safely inside, Lulu settled back in her seat and gave the driver the signal to go ahead.

Neither of them noticed the black sedan across the street that pulled away from the curb and followed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you for the reviews! This chapter went by really quickly, probably because I can't wait to get the next one, lol! Where we will be delving into Dante's mind and the reasoning behind his _**insert swear word here**_ actions. **

**But I think you'll enjoy the end of this chapter a bit. ;)**

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Lulu locked the door behind her and tossed her coat and scarf negligently on the bench that sat in the entryway of her apartment. She sighed happily, still a little buzzed from the champagne, and sauntered down the hallway. She'd never dreamed she'd feel so satisfied running the magazine that she'd started as a lowly second assistant at. She smiled, thinking of Maxie. The two of them had worked for Kate Howard that by the time Kate had gotten so fed up with Port Charles and quit Crimson, Lulu and Maxie had been the natural replacements. As co-editors, Maxie ran the Port Charles branch, and Lulu had offered to move to Paris and work there.

The timing had definitely worked in her favor, Lulu admitted, opening the freezer for the ice cream she'd thought of earlier. Digging out the carton and a spoon, she leaned against the tall island in the kitchen and drifted back in time.

"_Lulu, you have got to snap out of it," Maxie said impatiently. "What is going on? You ran into your bedroom three days ago and have barely come out of it since." She wrinkled her nose. "Not even to shower? Spill. This is about Dante, right? What happened? And you can forget about not telling me. Are we or are we not best friends?" Maxie paused. "Although I'm still not even sure how that happened. But anyway-"_

"_He hasn't even called," Lulu said dully, laying on her side and staring at the wall. The same wall she'd been staring at for days. _

_Maxie sat on the bed. "You had a fight?" she guessed, resting her hand on Lulu's leg._

_Lulu managed a barking laugh, and managed to gather the strength to sit up. She tucked the blanket around her and shivered. She was so cold – she hadn't been warm since that night. Taking a breath, she lifted her eyes to Maxie's. _

"_Not a fight," she whispered. "He slept with Brenda." Even the words sounded foreign. _

_Maxie's mouth dropped open. Before she could speak, Lulu cut her off._

"_Not recently," Lulu admitted. "Although he's lied about everything. I don't know. Maybe he did. Or has by now. I'm not making any sense."_

_Maxie looked at her in concern while Lulu tried to collect her thoughts._

"_I was at his loft the other night," she began, trying to block the pain that radiated like a knife through her entire body. "He didn't realize I was there. Michael was spending the night at Carly's and I fell asleep waiting for Dante to come home." Lulu shoved a hand at her hair. "He came in with Brenda. They were talking about when he'd guarded her years ago. I woke up a little disoriented. We'd been working like crazy to make that deadline, remember?" Maxie nodded._

"_Anyway, I was groggy, and slow getting up. I heard," Lulu stopped and her eyes welled up. Maxie rubbed her ankle. "Maxie, he lied about it right to my face. A couple of weeks ago when I first found out they'd met before. He claimed she didn't even remember him. And there they were, in Dante's living room, talking about how Sonny could never find out about them." Lulu rubbed her eyes tiredly. _

"_Sonny," she said bitterly. "My name was never even mentioned. Brenda was freaking out about Sonny, and Dante just sat there and told her not to worry." She looked away again. "I got out of bed. They looked over at me, and Dante – his face was like stone. I've never seen him like that before. It was like he was a different person. I don't even remember Brenda leaving. I tried to ask Dante what was going on. He wouldn't tell me anything. I screamed and cried and threw things and he wouldn't tell me anything." Lulu turned back to Maxie, tears streaming fully now. "He wouldn't tell me anything," she repeated. Maxie felt her own eyes start to water, and she scooted up the bed, wrapping her arms around her friend as Lulu sobbed brokenly._

Lulu took a breath and another spoonful of ice cream. Bad memories, she thought. She'd gotten through it, though. The promotion and the move to Paris had helped. Obviously Maxie would have loved to be the one to relocate. But she'd been like a rock. Telling Lulu that with everything happening in Maxie's family, Mac's house burning down, it wasn't right for her to leave. Lulu should go, spend time with her mom, get a new perspective. So she'd left.

And Dante had never called. Never offered any explanation. The last time she'd seen him had been in a haze of rage and hurt. Lulu slowly licked the last of the ice cream off the spoon. She'd thrown herself into work after that. She was a good boss, she'd found, still a little amazed by it. Her staff respected her, but they also liked her. And sales were at their all time highest. She rinsed the spoon and set it in the sink before walking down the dark hallway. She was satisfied with her career, had a wardrobe and shoe collection most women would, and did, envy, and she was happy. Well. Happy enough, she though ruefully. She still hadn't been able, or maybe willing, to start dating. And she missed sex.

Laughing at herself a little, she turned into her bedroom, not bothering with the light. She looked back, though, at the knock on her front door. Frowning, she started back down the hallway. Who could possibly be knocking on her door at…she looked at the clock on the wall…2:13 a.m.?

She checked the peep hole and squealed. Unlocking the door, she threw it open. "Lucky! What are doing here?" Lulu laughed and threw herself into her brother's arms, squeezing her eyes closed and just basking in his presence.

That was how Dante saw her first. Laughing, that gorgeous hair flying. He hadn't thought it would be like this. Like a punch to the gut to see her again. He kept his emotions in check, though, and had a feeling her reaction might be a little more...dramatic.

Lulu opened her eyes, still smiling, and saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. Her heart dropped with a thud as she turned slowly and looked into the eyes of the man she thought she'd never see again.

* * *

Dante cleared his throat as Lulu busied herself making coffee. Lucky had taken over, ushering them both into the apartment as Lulu tried to collect herself. She had yet to say a word to him, but she also hadn't kicked him out, which had been a relief. Now she was messing around at the counter, heating water on the stove, scooping coffee into some kind of odd canister with a lid that pressed down. Intrigued, he stepped closer, and immediately cursed himself as she stiffened.

He stepped back and exchanged a glance with Lucky. So far her reaction hadn't been as bad as he'd thought, for the most part. This might work out after all. They just had to talk rationally about why they were there.

Lulu was seething. How dare he come here? And what the fuck was Lucky thinking? She had half a mind to shove both of them out the door. Only pure shock had had her allowing them to come in at all. Now they were standing in her kitchen, and she was making coffee. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before turning to face them. There was no way she was letting Dante see how tumultuous her feelings were. He was here for now, and she would treat him civilly and get him out of her life again as quickly as possible. She would not, by God, let him see any pain, or any emotion from her, at all.

Dante watched her carefully. The initial shock seemed to have worn off, and her face looked calm. He was wary though, remembering her temper. As she moved around the elegant kitchen, gathering cups and saucers, he remembered a lot of things. She looked…well, amazing, he thought. That dress was a killer, and was short enough that the silk kept fluttering around her legs as she walked. High on her legs, he thought, and tried to remember to exhale. Her feet were bare, and he saw her toenails were painted a shade of purple that should have looked ridiculous, but on her looked insanely sexy. His gaze wandered up, and he cleared his throat again and tried to look away from the strapless neckline.

Lucky kicked him under the table. "You're about to start drooling any minute, man," he said under his breath as the water began to whistle. "Pull yourself together."

Dante knew he was right. This was not the time to think about her body, or how vividly he could remember how well he knew that body. How it felt wrapped around his, under his…

He jolted as Lucky kicked him again, and he scrubbed a hand over his face.

Lulu brought the coffee to the island where the men were sitting. She poured a cup for Lucky, adding a heavy dose of the sugar he couldn't live without. She glanced at Dante. "Cream or sugar?" she asked, as though he was a stranger.

He tucked his tongue in his cheek. So she didn't remember how he took his coffee, huh. "Black. Just like yours," he added, unable to resist. Lulu pushed down the urge to punch him in the face, and purposefully added cream to her coffee. Dante fought the sudden urge to grin.

Sipping slowly, she smiled at Lucky. "So how long are you in Paris for?" she asked. "You're lucky you caught me, you know. I just got in."

Dante's eyes narrowed. Was she trying to get under his skin? He watched her lick her top lip and was certain she was.

"We just-" he began, but she cut him off.

"You're more than welcome to stay here," she said smoothly, still speaking only to Lucky. She spared a glance at Dante.

"There's a very nice hotel down the street," she offered helpfully. This time he couldn't quite disguise the laugh as a cough, and Lucky took over.

"Lulu, I'm sorry for just showing up like this," he said, and hoped she would forgive him eventually. "But there is a reason." He glanced at Dante again.

"We think you're in danger."

* * *

Lulu tossed in bed, thinking about the conversation. It was like the universe was conspiring against her, she thought bitterly. Lucky had said only that Interpol had contacted him after learning of his connection Lulu. They'd had suspicions for some time that she was being targeted by a very dangerous man. The same man who had stalked Brenda Barrett. She pushed the pillow under her head and grimaced. She would die happy if she never heard the name Balkan again.

Lucky hadn't wanted to go into detail yet. She couldn't figure out what he wasn't telling her, but he was definitely hiding something. After she'd been unable to pry it out of him, she had finally thrown her hands up and told him she was going to bed. She hadn't said another word to Dante, though she figured he'd probably still be there in the morning. She was determined to stay calm. Her comment about the hotel had slipped out accidentally, and she knew it had amused him. The bastard, she thought grimly, turning over almost violently to lay flat on her back. She stared at the ceiling for a moment before tossing the duvet aside and tiptoeing to her bedroom door. Listening carefully, she thought they probably had gone to bed. Her apartment was huge, and she had several guest bedrooms. She opened the door silently and stepped into the hallway. The apartment was dark and quiet. She started down toward the hallway toward the kitchen again. If she wasn't sleeping, she might as well finish the ice cream. Shaking her head, she smiled ruefully. If this kept up she'd put on twenty pounds in a week.

A hand grabbed her ankle. She gasped even as she went down, and landed on something hard and warm. As she found herself on the floor, pinned beneath Dante, she struggled. He caught both of her hands in one of his and shoved them over her head. She met his eyes, and his were dark and flashing with…could it be fear that she saw glinting behind the normally amused brown eyes? She kept struggling, even as he bent his head to rest it against her forehead.

He was relieved. He'd camped outside her bedroom for her own protection. Lucky had seemed confident that nothing would happen tonight, but he also hadn't told Lulu everything. They had decided it would be Dante who would have to fill in the blanks, since so much of it had to do with his past. And he just wasn't ready to do that yet.

He'd fallen into a fitful sleep while leaning against the wall, and awoken instantly, terrified he'd allowed one of Balkan's men to slip past him. Taking Lulu down had been instinctive, and now that he realized she was safe, that no one had come to grab her in the night, he reacted with another instinct.

He covered her mouth with his, kissing her with the ferocity of the emotions he'd been fighting to keep in check since he'd seen her again. She continued to struggle under him, fighting his grip on her wrists, but he didn't register it. The moment their lips met, he was back in time, and the feeling of her mouth, the movements of her body, spurred him on. Her mouth was a dream, her lips plump and soft. And he plundered it, pressing his body intimately against hers.

That was what stopped her struggle. The haze of fury faded as she felt his desire hard against her. They'd landed on the floor in such a way that he lay in between her parted legs, and she could feel every inch of him straining against her. Her body betrayed her as she responded to him, lifting her hips to feel his erection fully, and her lips parted under his. When his other hand streaked up to palm her breast, she pressed against him there too. It had been so long since she'd felt this. The intense desire surpassed everything. In that moment the urge to mate overtook all sense. He stroked her nipple with his thumb, and it hardened instantly through the silk of her night slip. She let out a strangled moan as heat pooled low in her center. His hand was hard and hot on her, and he was moving against her hips where her slip had ridden up, pushing hard against the tiny matching panties she wore. His jeans were rough against her thighs, his erection pulsing against the center of her pleasure, his hand tugging her top down to feel her bare skin, pulling and twisting her nipple so that she gasped against his mouth.

He was lost in his desire. This was what had haunted his dreams for months, this woman, this body. He groaned when his hand came in contact with her breast. She was full and warm and soft, but for the hardened nipple that he couldn't resist. He slowly twirled his tongue with hers, changing the angle of the kiss, and thrusted his hips against hers in an age-old rhythm. She followed his movements, her slim body lifting against his, one of her legs coming up to wrap around his as she quivered under him. God, he could come like this, he realized.

It was that thought that brought him back. He wrenched his mouth from hers, furious with himself. Staring down at her flushed cheeks and swollen lips, his tried to catch his breath. She stared up at him, and he realized he was still holding her wrists captive in his hand. He released them quickly, and pulled her slip back up over her breast. He gritted his teeth as he moved off of her, and saw her nipples straining against the thin fabric. The nightdress had ridden up, exposing her flat stomach, the tiny panties she wore. He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. This was not what he'd intended to do. If there was even a chance of winning her back, he had to be smart. And molesting her on the floor at the first opportunity was not smart.

He got her to her feet and they stood for a moment in the dark hallway. "Ah," he started, his voice low and husky. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – ooof," he grunted as her fist plowed into his stomach.

She stormed back to her bedroom and slammed the door. He heard a lock click and he blew out a breath. "That went well," he muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**I just want to say thank you to everyone for giving this story a chance. Hopefully this chapter will alleviate some of your concerns. :) Thank you also for the reviews and general feedback - I really appreciate it!**

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_He checked the time. Less than one minute left. Gripping the wheel tightly, he squealed around another corner, barely tapping the brakes. The car tried to fishtail, but he kept control. His mouth was grim, his eyes focused on the road as he pressed the gas pedal to the floor. Her face flashed in his mind – a thousand memories. Of her smile, her laugh. The way she took his shit and gave it right back. The way he knew she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. _

_When he reached the building, he threw the car in park and jumped out, leaving the engine running and the door open. His heart in his throat, he hit the ground running._

_And the world exploded._

"_Luuuluuuu!" _

Dante jerked awake, covered in sweat. Struggling to clear his mind, he ran a hand through damp hair and tried to catch his breath. The dream was always the same, always a replay of the night Lulu had been strapped to a bomb by a psychotic artist. Always the same race in the car, the fury and terror in his heart. Always with one difference. In the dream, he was too late.

He leaned back, letting his head fall against the wall with a thud. The nightmare had started up again almost a year ago. Right around the time he'd begun to fear for her life again.

Shaking his head, Dante slowly got to his feet. The dreams exhausted him, left him feeling empty and helpless. He was desperate for coffee, though he'd been practically living on the stuff lately. Rubbing the back of his neck, he brought his head up and met Lulu's wary eyes.

She stood in her bedroom doorway, wrapped in the fluffy pink robe he'd gotten for her as a late Valentine's Day present last year. Her face was clear of makeup, her hair was a mess. She'd never looked more beautiful. It hurt to look at her, to see the look in her eyes that told him how badly he'd messed up. To think he might never have her back, tease her, tickle her, make her laugh, give her a foot rub, give her everything she'd ever wanted. The sun streamed in through her window, making her hair glow, and his heart stuttered. The moment was dragging on too long. He needed to say something, but his mind was blank.

Lulu broke the silence first, her voice thick with sleep. "Some dream," she said, watching him closely. In fact, she'd been watching since before he'd even woken. She'd opened the door to find him sleeping in her hallway. No, not sleeping, she realized, but struggling to wake up. His fists were clenched, his mouth set. And then he'd said her name.

She was stupefied. What could he possibly be dreaming about that would cause that kind of tremor in his voice? And now he was staring at her so intently that she began to fidget, tightening the belt of her robe and stuffing her hands into the deep pockets.

"Yeah," he said, trying to sound casual. "I don't really remember it." He stuck his own hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Got any more coffee? That stuff last night was fantastic."

Lulu just looked at him for another moment. So he didn't remember. She didn't believe that for one second, but she also wasn't going to press him for details only to be humiliated when he refused to tell her. Again. She felt the old anger rising up again and took a breath before starting down the hallway. Taking that as a yes, Dante followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the stool as she began the coffee preparations. She shot him an annoyed look over her shoulder as he sat there silently, watching her with a small smile on his face. She busied herself at the counter until there was nothing left to do, and she finally whirled around.

"What?" she asked through gritted teeth, putting her hands on her hips.

"Nothing," Dante shrugged. "It's just…nice. I've missed seeing you like this." He wasn't smiling any longer. "I've missed seeing you period," he said quietly.

She wanted to scream. She stepped forward, furious with him, and with herself for letting him get to her. "Let me be clear, Dante," she said coolly. "What happened last night was a mistake that I have no intention of repeating." Her voice was low, and he didn't doubt her sincerity. He knew she meant it. He also knew he would change her mind.

"Furthermore, I expect some answers. You and Lucky showed up here with no warning, and no explanation but some vague danger that I'm supposedly in. I will tolerate you being here because I know you and Lucky work well together. But that's it," she continued, her voice beginning to rise. "You will not kiss me, you will not touch me, and you most certainly will not watch me make coffee like…like…" she trailed off, and Dante smirked.

"Like what?" he asked, loving everything about her. "Like someone who likes coffee a lot? Or gorgeous women with bed head?"

Steam would start blowing out of her ears any moment, she was certain of it. "Like a lover, you idiot!" Her eyes welled with tears, and she saw the amusement on his face fade to panic.

"Baby, don't cry," Dante started towards her, only to stop in his tracks when she held her arm out, pressing a palm against his chest.

"And you will not," she managed, tossing her hair, "call me baby." She shoved past him, and past Lucky, who was standing silently in the doorway, his hair still wet from his shower.

Lucky raised an eyebrow at Dante. "I see you haven't lost your touch," he said sarcastically, and Dante glared. "You've got to tell her, man."

Dante poured a steaming cup of coffee for his partner before taking one himself and sitting down again. "I know," he sighed. "I know. I just - " he jumped up at the strangled cry coming from the living room, and was a step ahead of Lucky as they raced down the hallway.

They found her staring down at the floor. Lucky wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the sofa, giving Dante a look, as if to say, _no time like the present_.

"Shit," Dante muttered, and snatched up the photograph that was lying on the floor. It must have been slipped under the door during the night, and he cursed himself for not checking the place out before Lulu had had a chance to find it.

The photo was of Lulu, in the dress she'd been wearing last night. He looked closer, and his mouth went dry as he realized it wasn't just the dress. Everything was the same. The photo had been taken and developed last night. But not before some asshole computer genius had tampered with it. Dante thought she must have been laughing in the original photo, but she certainly wasn't in the one he was holding now. Her mouth was twisted open in silent agony, and blood covered her face and hair. Dante fought the rising bile in his throat as he forced himself to examine every inch of the doctored photograph. He frowned as he took in the rest of it, and the other woman standing with Lulu, a knife stuck in her back, more blood. God, so much blood.

"Who's this?" he asked, handing the picture to Lucky, who sat with a shocked Lulu on the couch. Lucky took it and looked only briefly before his eyes flashed up to Lulu's. The fear pumped off of them in waves, and Dante realized it could only be one person.

They sprang up, and flew into action. Within five minutes they were pounding down the stairs and hailing a taxi.

Lulu sat in the back with Lucky, clutching his hand. "Did you try calling her?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer. She fought to hold in the moan when Lucky nodded grimly. He gripped her hand tighter.

"She'll be fine, Lu," he whispered. "She'll be fine."

Dante sat in front and listened, praying that the first time he saw Lulu's mother wouldn't be at a crime scene.

He thought of the file he and Lucky had brought with them to Paris. The file he'd spent months adding to, pulling apart, putting back together again. He thought of the first photo he'd gotten in the mail, the day after Brenda had come to Port Charles. Lulu had been alone in it. Alone, and in Dante's loft, wearing nothing but a pair of white cotton boy-cut panties. He remembered the moment vividly. He'd been cooking dinner, and she'd waltzed out with that smile on her face. He'd burned the sauce that night.

Dante closed his eyes. The bastard had gotten a shot of her through the window somehow, though there were no buildings nearby that seemed to have any kind of view of his apartment. The first one hadn't been tampered with. Just a picture of a gorgeous, topless woman with a seductive grin. Harmless. But for the writing in one corner.

_Pretty girl, Detective. _

He'd gone crazy. Tearing the place apart. Running around to neighboring buildings, never able to figure out out where the cameraman had been.

And he'd pushed her away. Hiding his fear, masking it so that she thought it was another woman causing the distance between them. Okay, maybe it hadn't been the right way to handle everything, but it had worked. He tried not to remember the night she'd left him. She had begged him to tell her the truth, and he hadn't been able to. He hadn't been able to admit out loud that she was being stalked. The photos were coming at least twice a week by that point. Every nerve ending he had was on edge. She needed to be as far away from him as possible.

The hole that had torn open in his heart that last night had mended slightly when he'd heard she'd gone to France. If she wasn't in his life, she wasn't going to be harmed, he reasoned. That was all that was important. He'd told himself that, over and over, even as he wrestled insomnia, and started drinking too much. The night she'd left, she'd thrown one of her perfume bottles against the wall. When she'd gone, he'd mopped up the mess with a dishtowel. The towel lay on his bed to this day, still unwashed.

Months went by. The pictures stopped coming. He allowed himself to breath. He even did some light checking up on her. And the very next day, a plain white envelope had been left on his desk at work. He'd opened it with shaking hands. The picture was identical to the first one. His heart literally stopped as he realized the words were the same, but written in French.

_Belle femme, le détective._

The taxi screeched to a halt, jolting Dante out of his memory. He tossed money at the driver and met Lulu and Lucky outside of Laura's building. Lucky was already ringing the doorbell.

They waited.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**Ahem. Wow do I know now how to leave you guys hanging or what? I am so very sorry! I want to again thank everyone for reading and reviewing. You have no idea how much your comments inspire me. Unless you're also a writer, in which case you probably _do _have an idea! :)**

**This chapter might be the longest so far. And there are probably only a few chapters left before I try to get this wrapped up and back to my other story. **

**I had a dream I was pregnant last week and when I looked up the meaning, I found that it could be a sign of new or creative things in my life happening or that it's the right time in my life for new and creative things. So that got me back in the groove and hopefully I can keep it up!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

CHAPTER 4

Lulu pressed the doorbell again and began digging in her bag. "I know I have a key in here somewhere," she muttered, trying to control her frantically beating heart.

The door opened, and Lulu's head snapped up. "Thank God!" she cried, throwing her arms around Laura. Dante and Lucky released the breath they'd been holding, and she could physically feel them relax behind her.

Lucky pushed them all inside as Laura blinked sleep out of her eyes. "Lucky?" she asked in disbelief, and a smile crept over her face. "I can't believe you're here! Oh, sweetie, I've missed you so much!"

Lucky managed a smile as he hugged his mother. It still shocked him sometimes that he was taller than her now. She hung onto him for a moment, then leaned back, keeping her hands on his arms. Her beaming smile faded.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at the three of them, seeing Dante for the first time. He cleared his throat, suddenly more nervous than he could remember being in a long time. He glanced at Lulu, who said nothing. The silence grew uncomfortable before Lucky finally took pity on him.

"Mom, this is my partner," he explained, steering her over to the plush sofa in her living room. Laura stopped in her tracks and narrowed her eyes as the impact of those words sank in. This was the man who'd broken her daughter's heart.

"Dante Falconari, Mrs. Spencer," Dante held out his hand. Laura hesitated for a moment before ingrained manners forced her to shake his outstretched hand. She glanced at Lulu with concern before looking back at Dante.

"Well," she said cautiously. "I guess I'd better make some coffee."

* * *

"Okay, let me get this straight," Laura folded her hands together. "You received a photo of me and Lulu from our celebration last night, but someone tampered with it to make it seem as though we were dead, or at least, covered in blood."

Lucky winced, but she held out her hand, not letting him interrupt.

"You claim Lulu, and now I, am in some kind of danger from an international criminal. You won't tell us why you think this or what kind of evidence there is." Laura paused and looked at Dante. He held her gaze for a moment, but then looked away, certain that she could read his mind as his thoughts flashed to the photos and warnings he'd received over the past year.

"Well. Lucky, I was under the impression you and Lulu were fairly close." Lucky looked up at the ceiling and let out a frustrated sigh; fairly certain he knew where this was going.

"And Detective," she added, causing Dante to straighten up guiltily. "I realize you spent quite a bit of time with my daughter over the last few years. I find it very difficult to imagine that either of you may have possibly thought you could count on Lulu to be accommodating and fearful without having to explain yourselves, but let me correct both of your serious errors in judgment."

Lulu folded her arms and smirked.

"Sweetheart, don't gloat, it's not good for the soul. Okay," Laura continued. "You boys are going to start talking. Because I am certainly not going to allow you to drag my daughter through this insanity without having some details."

"You don't have a choice, Mrs. Spencer," Dante broke in. Three heads turned in his direction, and he backtracked. "At least not this very second, you don't," he tried, gentling his tone. Laura was…softer, somehow, than Lulu. But underneath it she had the same iron will. And he couldn't afford to alienate anyone else.

"Right now I think it's pretty important we all get out of this building. We need to find someplace that's not connected to either of you. Otherwise, we're shooting ducks."

* * *

Lulu blew hair away from her forehead. The walk from the train had been long, and exhausting, and the tote bag she carried hung on her shoulder like a sack of bricks. At least she'd been smart and thrown on flat sneakers when they'd left her apartment earlier. Heels would have been killing her by now. They'd taken 6 trains to reach their destination, and Lucky and Dante remained tight-lipped, except to refuse to allow Lulu to rent a car or use her credit card for anything.

She blew out another breath. The sun beat down hotly, and she picked up the hair off the back of her neck, savoring the coolness for the split second it lasted.

When Dante glanced back, his breath caught. He'd gone from seeing her every day to wondering if he'd ever see her again. Her beauty wasn't something that he'd forgotten. But just being near her seemed to make the pictures he'd carried in his mind for the last six months dull. There were so many small, insignificant things. The way she'd raise her eyebrows sometimes right before he spoke. The way she played with her finger nails when she was nervous. Each time she made a gesture or a face was like a thunderbolt to his heart. The memories raced over him every time she moved. But this was better than any memory. She was there, right in front of him, still walking slowly, her eyes halfway closed. Her head was tilted to the sky, one arm lifting all that hair away from her skin. She was wearing a light pink tank top and dusty looking cargo khaki pants that rolled up to her mid-calves. Her feet were covered with athletic shoes, but Dante chuckled as he realized the shoes had silver and pink sparkles all over them.

He must not have muffled the sound enough, for her eyes snapped open and she faced him. He waited until she got closer, hating the way her peaceful expression hardened when she noticed him.

"Something funny?" she said icily.

He shrugged and looked down at her shoes again. "I never knew you liked pink so much." When her eyes changed, became even frostier, he stepped forward. "Hey, what's -"

"You don't know me at all anymore," she interrupted, and held out a hand to stop him from coming closer.

"Fine," he bit off. A guy couldn't ask one simple question? "Whatever. Look, I don't want to argue with you the entire time I'm here. Especially not about some stupid shoes."

"Great. Then you can leave. And they're not stupid. You're stupid," she retorted. Great, now he was making her speak like a twelve year old. She needed to get a grip here.

"I'm not going anywhere, Lulu. You have to know that. And if you're too goddamn stubborn to even -"

"I'm stubborn?" she was shouting now, waving her arms wildly as the anger grew. "Listen, you arrogant pig, you want to talk about stubborn -"

Laura put an arm around her son as they watched Dante and Lulu fight. "Were they always like this?" she wondered.

Lucky laughed. "God, no," he said, rubbing his chin. "For so long they were in perfect synch, Mom, it was almost spooky. She stood by him when no one else did, he would have done anything for her." He turned to Laura, waited until she looked in his eyes. "He still would, Mom. That's the only reason he's here."

She shook her head. "He needs to be honest with her, Lucky. I can tell there's something going on here that neither of you wants to tell us. He needs to trust that she can handle it. You both do."

A strange expression came over Lucky's face as Dante and Lulu continued to argue, not bothering to keep their voices low. They were in the rural French countryside, and the houses were few and far between. But Lucky realized they had already been overheard, and he grabbed Laura's arm to keep her from turning.

"Listen, Mom, speaking of honesty, there's probably something you should know," he began, speaking quickly. "See, Dante and I had a little help finding this place."

Laura looked at him expectantly, and he closed his eyes, trying to find the words. "Okay," he tried again. "Ah, the thing is, I ran into an old associate of - " he stopped as Lulu shouted again.

"…even think about trying anything again, because I will cut off your -"

"Gumdrop, you have really stopped pulling your punches! I can't tell you how proud that makes me."

As the man's voice registered, Laura's eyes widened. Lucky made a hopeful face, and she shook her head at him, praying for patience. One did not strangle sons whom they hadn't seen in over a year, she told herself.

She turned around slowly. Dante and Lulu stood frozen in the middle of the street. Luke Spencer stood in the open doorway of a rustic looking house set a bit back from the road, a hat perched jauntily on his head, a glass dangling from one hand.

"Hello princess!" he called out, and Lulu raced up to him, throwing her arms around his neck, gripping tightly.

Luke kept one hand on his daughter's back. "Now that's quite a welcome," he said jovially, keeping his voice light. But his face darkened as he looked back at Dante, who stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to walk up to the house.

Luke turned to Lucky and Laura as Lulu stepped out of his arms. He smiled hugely, and felt his eyes get a little misty as he looked at the woman he'd nearly given up hope on. Laura stood with Lucky, her hands folded in front of her as she waited for Luke to reach her. He walked down the path and stopped just in front of her. She raised an eyebrow when he said nothing. Watching from the doorway, Dante did a double-take. The facial expression was all Lulu. As was the peal of laughter as Luke enveloped Laura in his arms, lifting her off the ground and swinging her in a circle.

* * *

"It's an old pal of mine," Luke said vaguely. Lucky rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, Dad, I don't care who this guys is, we're just grateful for the help. It'll be good to be off the radar for awhile," Lucky stretched back in an old wooden chair. "Is the house pretty well stocked?"

Luke grinned. "With scotch? Yes. Unfortunately, the man's taste in cigars seems to be about as bad as your mother's."

This time Laura was the one to roll her eyes. "He never lets me forget a thing," she complained. "You buy a man one lousy batch of cigars and your reputation is ruined forever. It wasn't my fault I went to an actual store," she said indignantly, and Lulu couldn't stop the burst of laughter.

"Well, how was I supposed to know he got them from some ruffian off the street?" Laura sat back in her own chair and folded her arms as everyone else around the table tried to control their laughter. Lucky held a hand over his eyes, and his body was shaking. Lulu bit her lip and pretended to cough. And Dante pressed his lips together and looked at her sympathetically, but his eyes twinkled. She couldn't help but give in and smile back.

Luke just sat there and looked at her, smiling the same big grin he had since he'd seen her. He allowed the laughter to continue for a moment before clearing his throat.

"Okay, boys," Luke said seriously. "Let's hear it. You didn't tell me a thing when you asked if I had any contacts over here. And if I'm not mistaken, the ladies are out of the loop too. It's time to lay the cards on the table." He sat back in his chair and took a drink.

Dante blew out a breath. He'd known this moment was coming, but it went against every instinct he had to share the information with them.

"Almost a year ago I received a photo in the mail," he began, watching as Lulu's attention sharpened. "As time went on, they started coming more frequently, and with more disturbing visions. They were of Lulu," he said quietly, speaking to everyone, but looking directly at her. Her eyes gave nothing away, but he could tell she was listening. Laura made a distressed sound, and Luke covered her hand with his on the table.

"The reason that Lulu is being targeted is because of me," he admitted. After all this time it was almost a relief to say it out loud. Telling Lucky had been easier, probably because of the fact that they worked together. Lucky was a cop, and knew how a cop thought, and what the mistakes felt like.

"It goes back to a time when I was a rookie cop guarding a supermodel in New York. There are very few people who know about this. Anyone who does is in danger," he looked at Lulu again, hoping she was beginning to understand.

As he told the story, Lulu fought conflicting emotions. It explained a lot, really. Dante's insistence on turning Michael in, not wanting his brother to go through the after-effects of carrying such a secret forever. And it explained the strange bond Dante had with Brenda. After all, who knew better than Lulu what could happen when you covered up a murder? Still, he had no right not to tell her about the pictures. Didn't you deserve to know when some psycho was stalking you?

"…the worst part was, Brenda was pregnant."

The silence was deafening. Lucky got up for the tea kettle, and gave Dante a bolstering pat on the shoulder. Lulu's face was a picture of shock, and she shoved away from the table.

Dante leaped up to grab her arm as she strode past him. She looked at him in disgust.

"Lulu, not by me," he was determined she not misunderstand. "Look, she was pregnant before I even started guarding her. I saw her get dizzy a few times, but I was just a stupid rookie on an assignment. I never would have figured it out, but after she killed the Balkan's son, everything came out."

Dante tightened his grip on Lulu's arm as he continued. Everyone else was still listening, but speaking only to Lulu now.

"I was _never_ with her that way," he emphasized. "In _any_ way. But I did everything wrong. I should have gone straight to my captain, I should have gotten reassigned. But all of a sudden I was put in this crazy situation. I told myself I was going to fix everything. I told Brenda that too. But I was wrong. The Balkan had resources beyond my imagination. Brenda's baby had been Alexander's, but obviously the Balkan couldn't know that. I told Brenda to put my name down as the father when the time came. It was the best way we could think of to protect her child."

"Brenda was out of the country when she gave birth. She called me, hysterical, about a week after the baby was born." Dante never broke eye contact with Lulu, and they stood together, with his hand locked on her arm. Luke and Laura watched silently, and Laura already had tears welling in her eyes. Luke's jaw tightened as he guessed what had happened.

"Lulu, he -" and now Dante's voice broke, and he took another breath. "He had that baby killed." Lulu went pale, and she shook her head in denial. Dante shook her. "There was no way for the Balkan to know that baby was his grandson. He did it just to avenge Alexander. Brenda gets knocked up by some cop? Fine, kill the cop's son. Let everything settle. Let Brenda and the cop get nice and comfortable, put it all behind them. Then start to terrorize them all over again. Drive Brenda to madness. Threaten the cop's girlfriend. Make their lives miserable. And then kill them all. Don't you see, Lu?" he said urgently.

Lulu was crying now, but unable to look away from Dante. He let go of her arm and paced away and back again.

"Don't you see that he's still coming after you? All because of me, because I love you! Why do you think I let you go to fucking France? You are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, and this fucking," he kicked at his chair furiously, sending it flying, "_monster_ ran you out of my life!"

Dante looked at Lulu with an anguished expression. "And it was all because of me," he repeated quietly, before slowly walking away.

Lulu heard a door shut somewhere else in the house and turned blindly into Laura, who had risen as soon as Dante had left. She let her mother hold her while she sobbed, once again crying for the man who she'd never stopped loving. And for the tragic events that he'd only wanted to forget.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: **

**You guys are so awesome! I was a little nervous about that last chapter and I'm so glad that you seemed to like it. I never meant for this to be a super long fic, so I will try to wrap it up in 10 chapters or less. In the meatime, I feel that we are missing the Lante action on the show right now. **

**And by action, I, of course, mean super hot sexy time. )**

**So please note the mature content rating, maybe pour a glass of wine first (if you are over 21, of course!), and then enjoy this chapter!**

**xxoo ;)**

CHAPTER 5

Lulu paused at the closed door, her hand lingering over the knob. She heard nothing but silence. The house almost seemed to echo with it. Lucky had taken their parents to the small store they'd passed on their earlier walk, figuring Lulu might want some time to speak alone with Dante. She inhaled slowly. His revelations had shocked her. Nothing she had imagined had even come close to the true story. But she couldn't help still feeling betrayed. Dante had allowed her to go on feeling completely heartbroken. It was something she never could have believed of him, no matter what the circumstances.

She swiped her hands under her eyes, hoping to clear the last of the tears before going in. Gathering herself, she knocked softly twice before opening the door without waiting for a response.

He was sitting on the edge of a small twin bed, his head in his hands. The Italian in him wasn't embarrassed about his emotional outburst in the other room, but he felt dejected, like he was still doing the wrong things, making the wrong choices. Lulu didn't need to be screamed at, and he'd let his fear and doubts get the better of him. He looked up at her, letting his hands fall and resting his forearms on his knees as he searched her face.

She'd stopped crying, but her eyelashes were spiky and wet still. Her face was very serious, and her movements were slow and deliberate. She closed the door behind her, and it clicked quietly. She said nothing, only moved across the tiny room to sit next to him, keeping a foot or two between them. She mirrored his pose, leaning forward and resting her arms on her knees. For a long moment they sat in silence. He stared at her feet, at the pink and silver that glittered over plain white tennis shoes.

"I didn't mean to snap at you about the shoes."

He looked up. It was the last thing he'd expected to come out of her mouth. Lulu sighed and ran a hand through her already tousled hair.

"For the holidays, I did this thing at work. I asked the staff to donate gently used items for families that were struggling economically. They could purchase new if they wanted, or even kind of adopt a family, spend time with them, take them shopping, whatever. That's what I did," Lulu paused and rubbed her palms against her knees. "It was a mom and her three little girls. Their father had been killed in the line of duty."

Dante stared at her. "He'd been in law enforcement here in France. They have very little extended family, and the mom was having a really rough time. My mom and I spent our entire Christmas with them, and helped the woman buy gifts for her daughters."

Now Lulu smiled. "The little girls pooled together and got me these plain white sneakers. Their teacher at school helped them find all these unused plastic rhinestones and stuff from the art classroom. They gave them to me Christmas night, after they'd opened their presents and we'd all eaten dinner together. It was one of the most beautiful moments in my life. I know they're not really my style, but I love them," she admitted, laughing a little as she looked down. "Whenever I wear them, I remember how excited those girls were as they waited for me to open them." Lulu looked up at Dante for the first time. He opened his mouth, and she could tell he was trying to find the words to apologize. "Don't worry about it. I don't even know why I told you that. It just struck a chord, and with everything…else…going on, I just wanted to tell you about it."

He shook his head. "I think that's amazing," he said softly. "I think you're amazing."

She looked down. "Dante, I don't really know how to feel about all of this. I feel terrible about what Brenda went through, and I know it affects you too. How could it not? But I'm still so hurt that you didn't tell me. After everything we've been through together, we should have been able to talk about this."

Dante opened his mouth, but said nothing. She saw his gaze flick to the little desk that sat next to the window of the bedroom, and to the brown file folder that was on the desk. She looked at him, his jaw clenching, and she got up and strode across the room.

He was at her side in a flash, gripping her wrist before she could open the file. "Lulu, no," he growled. "You don't need to see what's in there."

She simply looked at him, straight in the eyes. Eventually she felt his grip loosen, and she could see the resignation on his face. He released her hand and walked a few feet away, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

Lulu was nervous now, and could feel the tension that radiated off Dante. She swallowed and opened the file, sliding out a stack of papers.

The first picture had her mouth dropping open, her face flushing in shame, but she tried to gather herself, and began flipping through the rest of the photos. At the first tampered picture, she couldn't quite suppress the small sound in her throat, and suddenly he was there again, tugging her away.

"Please Lulu," Dante pleaded, but she shook her head. He stayed by her side this time as she looked at herself over and over. He'd been through the file countless times, trying to find some clue, but the photos never failed to anger him. Lulu was in every single one, sometimes a casual shot of her shopping, or drinking coffee. Others were intimate moments, capturing her body and face in frozen moments of passion, or distorting them in gory images of blood and death. She reached the photo of herself topless again and realized she'd reached the end. She set the stack down and stood still for a moment. Dante had an arm solidly around her waist, waiting for her to speak. When she didn't, he took his chance.

"Lulu, I never wanted you to see these. I'm so sorry. I don't know how he got some of these shots – I could never find anything in the apartments or rooftops across the street. When you left, the photos stopped coming for awhile. I tried to make myself believe I'd saved you. And that I deserved my own pain. Losing you, letting you walk out believing I'd had an affair, I thought it was better than losing you to whatever the Balkan would have done to you. I had nightmares, Lulu, where I'd find you covered in blood. I had one dream where you were hugely pregnant, and we were setting up a crib together. Then this…this gunshot…and you were on the floor, dying in my arms," he choked. She turned to him, saw the tear sliding down his face, let her own tears fall without bothering to wipe them away, and slid her arms around his neck as he brought his other arm around her waist. They embraced and stood, swaying slightly in the dying light coming through the dusty window, both offering and taking comfort.

"I never stopped loving you," he whispered against her hair, fisting his hand in the long waves that ran down her back. "I never stopped wanting you. I just wanted you alive more."

She ran a soothing hand up and down his back, leaving her other hand on his neck, sliding her fingers through his hair. He was holding her tightly, his hands large and warm on her back and in her hair. He was everything solid that she remembered, and she shuddered as she thought of the photos that he'd received, and had probably looked at over and over again. He gripped her even harder as she shook in his arms, and he pressed a kiss to her hair, then a second one, before sliding his hands up to her face, framing it gently.

When he lowered his mouth she met his lips without hesitation. He kissed her gently, keeping their bodies pressed together as his lips moved over hers, and sliding his tongue against hers softly when her lips parted. Still framing her face in his hands, Dante pulled away slightly, pressing his lips to the corners of her mouth, then her cheeks where her tears were still drying, her eyelids, and then moving back down to her mouth. She must have made some small noise, because he pulled away again, looking concerned. She was already breathing a little heavily, and she could feel his desire against her. She stared into his eyes and felt her shaky heart fall all over again.

This time it was Lulu who moved first, almost violently pulling him back down to meet her lips. Dante sensed the change in her immediately, and his mouth moved over hers crushingly, bruising her lips, his hands clenched in her hair once again. Moving her forward with his body until her butt hit the edge of the desk, he let go of her hair and spread his hands down to grip her hips tightly. Heart thudding in his chest, his fingers molding the shape of her hips, sliding under her thighs, he pressed against her. She lifted one leg to wrap around his waist, and he gratefully slid his hand to grasp her butt, knowing he wasn't being as gentle as he wanted, but unable to control himself. Her own hands were moving wildly over his back, tugging at his shirt, wanting to feel his skin. He broke away from her lips long enough to toss the shirt off, then yanked her back against his body. She moaned against his mouth as her hands now moved over his bare skin, stroking the rippling muscles in his back as he pressed her back. Lulu's leg swung around him once again and he moved quickly, sliding his hand under her other leg to wrap it around him, hitching her up completely. Their mouths were fused together as he carried her to the small bed, laying her down first and then covering her body with his. He tore himself away once again to rid her of the tank top she was wearing, his body reacting instantly to the sheer white bra she wore underneath. Suddenly curious to see if she still matched her underwear, he kept moving down, tugging at the drawstring on her pants before yanking them down, stopping only to take off the shoes he now thought suited her perfectly. Moving back up to brace himself over her, he looked down and groaned. She did indeed still wear matching panties. They were a sheer white that sat low on her hips but rose high under her butt so that the tuck of her ass was completely visible. Her legs were spread open to accommodate him laying over her, and he could see her wetness through the thin material. He stared at her hungrily, moving his gaze back up to her breasts, letting his hands trail there as well, and he circled one nipple slowly. Already hard, it puckered even more under his touch, and he lowered his head, drawing it into his mouth through the sheer fabric. She gasped and arched her back, giving herself over to him, pressing fully against his mouth as he suckled her. He glanced up at her as he moved to her other breast, and kept his eyes on her face as gave it the same treatment. She was biting her lip, her head thrown back, and she moved her hand up to cover the breast he'd just left.

Watching her manipulate herself made Dante tighten painfully against his jeans, and he groaned against her breast. Pushing himself up, he undid the buttons on his jeans and wrenched them off. Then he tugged her bra up without un-fastening it, pulling it over her breasts, over her neck. She lifted her arms over her head to help him take it off, but he stopped at her wrists, circling the bra around them like a rubber band to keep them together. Her eyes snapped to his as she realized his intention. He let go of her hands and she tried to move, but the bra was wrapped too tightly around her wrists. He grinned slowly, sexily at her as she wriggled under him.

He reached up to check the tightness. "Does it hurt?" he murmured, not wanting to cut off her circulation.

"No," she pouted, still struggling lightly. "But now I can't touch you."

He chuckled and bent to kiss her again. "That's the idea, baby," he whispered against her lips. "You were driving me crazy." His hand trailed down her arm and she shivered as he reached her breast again. "Although pretty much everything you do drives me crazy," Dante admitted, his voice hoarse with desire as she continued to move under him. "See, now you're doing it on purpose," he accused. "If you're not careful this will be over before it starts." She bit her lip again and lifted her hips, testing him. Growling, he shoved her legs apart even farther before sliding his hand down her belly, feeling her muscles there tense as he neared the valley between her thighs. He stroked her smoothly with one finger, and she gasped. He watched her face as he stroked her again, nearly losing control as he felt her warmth. He slid his finger beneath her underwear, felt her pulse against his hand, and he continued to watch her. Her head was thrown back again, and the way her arms stretched over her head forced her breasts up so that he could see her hard nipples still begging for his attention. But the smell of her was too strong to resist. He impatiently tugged Lulu's underwear to the side with one hand, and slid the first finger of his other hand inside her at the same time.

"God," she cried, thrusting her hips forward and toward his waiting mouth. When she did, he licked at her, tasting her for only a second before she left him. He let her figure it out, let her learn where he was at, so that with each pump of her hips he was close enough to taste her again and again.

"Not enough," he murmured, yanking her underwear down, tearing it off one ankle before he slid back up and gripped her butt with his hands. "Look at me," he demanded, and she had no choice. She watched as he lifted her hips, forcing the perfect angle. She felt her vision going blurry, and he gripped harder, snapping her eyes open again. His eyes glinted in satisfaction, and she felt his mouth on her again, sliding his tongue over her, into her. Her legs splayed open as he brought her closer and closer with each second, but she still didn't look away.

"Please," she sobbed, straining against the bra on her wrists once again. Dante smiled against her, removed his hands from her butt and flicked her clit with one finger. He kept it there as she exploded, pulsing against his hand, turning her face toward the pillow as he moved up her body. Bracing himself over her, he positioned himself at her entrance as her body continued to shake. Her eyes flew to his as she felt him slide inside, forcing her orgasm on and on with his finger, not letting her stop, crushing his mouth against hers once again as he entered her.

"God, you're so tight," he managed, trying to slowly ease into her. She moaned against his mouth and lifted her hips, helping him deeper inside. He hissed out a breath as he felt himself go all the way in, and he stilled for a moment, wanting her to adjust to his size.

He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her softly. She blushed a little and he looked at her curiously.

"I, ah…haven't been with anyone since, um…you," she admitted, and he felt his cock swell inside her in response. He lowered his forehead to hers and let out a shaky breath. She moved him, everything about her. The same woman who would wantonly touch herself for him, who was afraid of next to nothing, would feel embarrassed at not having been with another man after Dante. She humbled him.

He kissed her again, slowly and easily, letting their tongues meet naturally, and she began to move under him. Sliding out again, he thrust back, more easily this time. His breathing uneven, he kept going, slowly and steadily, battling the urge to pound into her. She began to struggle again. She still couldn't move her arms, but her legs were free to wrap around him, grip him closer. Still he tried to stay in control, kissing her with the same slow passion as he made love to her.

"Dante," Lulu breathed. "I'm not going to break, you know." He looked in her eyes, the humor and the desire in them. As he pulled out again, she kissed him, trying to time it perfectly. Right as he began to slide back into her, she sucked hard on his lip, and was rewarded with a deep, hard thrust that he couldn't control.

"Oh, God," she managed, throwing her head back before looking back at him, the hunger evident in her eyes.

"Okay, I can take a hint," Dante teased breathlessly. "But you'd better hold on," he suggested, wrapping her fingers around the iron bars of the bed frame. He slid his hands down her body, once again cupping her butt and lifting it before thrusting back inside her, hard and fast. He watched her hands clench the frame and grinned wickedly, lowering his head to her breast.

"Told you," he breathed, sucking hard on her nipple, his cock aching for release. But he stayed with her, each pump forcing a cry out of her open mouth. She gripped the frame as he drove himself into her, over and over again, forcing them further up the bed so that eventually her head hit the frame. Swearing, he tried to tug her down the bed without having to leave her. She moved at the same time on the tiny bed, and they tangled in the sheets, falling hard to the floor.

Dante landed with Lulu straddling him, and she cried out in pleasure as the fall forced him deeper in. Her hands still bound, she leaned forward over him to rest them on the floor, teasing him with her breasts. He grasped them with both hands as she began to ride him, pinching the nipples lightly as they swung temptingly over him. He felt her begin to clench around him and forced his hips up to meet her, moving his hand down to where they were joined once again and letting her orgasm carry him over the edge. He poured into her as she was still climaxing, her name on his lips, his heart in her hands. And knew he was home.

* * *

They were splayed out on the floor, legs tangled together, Lulu's head resting on Dante's chest, eyes drooping as she listened to his heartbeat slow.

He played with her hair, brushing it away from her face, letting it slide through his fingers.

"I wasn't either," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She shifted sleepily. "Hmmm?"

He moved so that she would be forced to look at him, and she made a small sound of complaint until she looked him in the eyes.

"I wasn't with anyone after you either," he revealed. Her eyes softened, and she lifted a hand to his cheek, pressing her lips to his.

"I love you, Lulu," he said, swallowing nervously. "I never thought I'd have the chance to tell you that again. Now I don't ever want to stop saying it. Please, come back to Port Charles with me. Or we can live here, it doesn't matter. Once we get out of all this shit with the Balkan we can be together, anywhere you want. Lulu…will you marry me?"

Her mouth dropped open in shock, and she tugged the sheet up a little. "Um. Wow. Ah, I don't -"

She stopped at the muffled sounds coming from the hallway, followed by Lucky's voice.

"Mom, I wouldn't go in there until they come out. Lulu and Dante have a tendency to -"

The door swung open as Laura came in with a concerned look on her face. She stopped short as she took in the sheets on the floor, and her daughter and her daughter's _ex_-boyfriend obviously naked under those sheets.

"Oh. Oh, my goodness."

Lucky peered around behind her and immediately backed out again, his voice fading as he walked quickly back down the hallway.

"_That_, Mom. _That _is what they have a tendency to do."


End file.
